


Hurt

by Melacka



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Post-Episode: s03e12 Helpless, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23747359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melacka/pseuds/Melacka
Summary: Buffy was too tired to try to understand all that had happened. Tonight, she just wanted to collapse on her bed and ignore the weight of the world, if only for a little while.Set immediately post Helpless (3x12). Buffy is reeling from everything that happened and Angel is there for her.
Relationships: Angel/Buffy Summers
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	Hurt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [calenlily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/calenlily/gifts).



> Written in response to a prompt from calenlily on tumblr: https://melacka.tumblr.com/post/614068220209594368/rocknmeme-i-love-you-prompts-send-a-word-or
> 
> The prompts given were Bangel, LIFT (picking up and carrying) and HUSH (going into comfort mode). Hope you enjoy it!

Giles drove her home, his silence somehow managing to be both painful and comforting. Buffy was too tired to try to understand all that had happened and now she had to go inside and face her mother. Acknowledge yet another dangerous intrusion into their lives as a result of her slaying. She sighed, ignoring the tears tracing down her cheeks.

“Would you like me to come in with you?” Giles asked quietly. “Perhaps try to smooth things over with your mother?”

An automatic rejection was on her lips when she stopped herself. If Giles came in with her, maybe she’d be able to hold off on the explanations for a little while. She’d still have to tell her friends, of course, but that was tomorrow’s problem. Tonight, she just wanted to collapse on her bed and ignore the weight of the world, if only for a little while.

“Buffy?” Giles said, his concern clear. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Sorry, just thinking.”

“So, would you like me to come in and speak to Joyce?”

Buffy nodded slowly, still not looking at him and then forced herself to speak.

“Yes, please,” she croaked.

Her voice was barely audible.

Giles nodded and they both got out of the car. Buffy glanced up and down the street nervously, acutely aware of how weak she still was. If a vampire or other nasty attacked them right then, she’d have to make a break for her front door and hope for the best. Silently promising herself never to take her powers for granted again, she unlocked the front door and ushered Giles inside.

Waving away her mother’s obvious concern, Buffy mumbled something about needing a bath and left Giles to it. Giles called out a warning about getting her stitches wet and she raised her hand in acknowledgment, not turning around. She still couldn’t quite forgive him for his part in this whole thing and figured that an uncomfortable conversation with her mother was the very least he deserved.

Finally reaching the safety of her bedroom, she closed the door behind her with relief. She leaned against it for a long moment before rousing herself with an effort. She wearily reached for her bathrobe and made her way slowly to the bathroom. She didn’t want to do much more than collapse on her bed, but she knew that she’d sleep much better if she washed off the layers of blood, sweat and grime she could feel covering her skin.

She started the water running in the tub as she removed her clothes and shoes, leaving them in a messy pile on the floor. She was doing her best not to think too much about everything that had happened to her that day as she sat down in the tub, switching the tap off as the water sloshed dangerously close to the edge.

“Happy birthday to me,” she sang miserably. “Happy birthday to me.” She looked down the length of her body, absently cataloguing the various bruises forming all over her. “Happy birthday, dear Buffy. Happy birthday to me.”

Her voice cracked on the last word as she started to cry, huge gut-wrenching sobs that she desperately tried to stifle. Her body shook with the effort and little bursts of pain hit her as she fought to regain control of herself. Deciding that the best course of action was to get into bed as soon as possible, she grabbed the nearest bottle of body wash and rapidly spread it over herself, absentmindedly watching her body disappear behind the foamy water in the tub as she went.

Buffy stepped out of the tub without bothering to wash the foam away properly and reached for a towel, patting herself dry as gently as she could, mindful of her injuries. She dropped the towel on top of her dirty clothes, deciding that all of it could simply wait until tomorrow. Everything could.

She dragged her robe on and belted it tightly before she opened the door and cautiously stuck her head out, listening carefully. She thought she could make out the faint sound of voices downstairs and she breathed a sigh of relief. As long as her mother was still talking to Giles, Buffy wouldn’t need to worry about her coming to talk to her. She couldn’t handle her mother’s reaction tonight, whether it be anger, concern or just plain hurt. Buffy needed to be alone.

“I want an answer, God damn it!”

Buffy winced at the sound of her mother’s suddenly raised voice.

“Poor Giles,” she whispered, before she remembered that she was mad at him.

Buffy moved stealthily down the hall to her bedroom, although she probably didn’t need to worry. No one would hear her quiet footsteps over the sound of the ongoing argument downstairs. When she made it to her room, she closed the bedroom door behind her but didn’t put the light on. She walked slowly to her dressing table and picked up her brush, wincing as she pulled it through her hair. She’d need to wash it properly soon, but with the wound on her head she might need to wait a few days. She didn’t know when her slayer healing would kick back in. Probably when her strength did.

She sighed and dropped the brush back on the dresser and then froze, aware suddenly of a presence. She turned slowly around and was not at all surprised to see Angel perched on the windowsill.

“Angel,” she whispered.

“Buffy,” he replied, smiling slightly.

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you, wish you a happy birthday again. Ask how your night was.”

“Thanks,” Buffy said dully, looking at the floor and fiddling with her robe. “Birthdays sure are special occasions.”

Angel moved away from the window and caught her restless hands in his.

“Buffy?” He gently tilted her face up to him and his face hardened in anger. “What happened?”

Buffy shrugged and tried to look away from him, but he held firm.

“Buffy, what happened? Who did this to you?”

“Giles,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“Giles?” Angel said, his voice dangerously low. “ _Giles_ hurt you?”

Buffy shook her head, unable to speak. Angel sighed and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, pulling her in to his arms. Buffy squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that she could feel starting up again.

“Angel,” she whispered. “Why did he do it? How could he hurt me like that?”

“I don’t know, Buffy.”

“Is there something about me that makes people _want_ to hurt me?” she gabbled desperately. “You’d tell me, right? You’d tell me if there was something wrong with me?”

“Buffy, there’s nothing wrong with you,” Angel insisted, rubbing his hands up and down her back soothingly. “I don’t know what happened tonight, but I can tell you that you don’t deserve to be hurt.”

“So why does it keep happening?” she cried. “Why did Giles _do_ that?”

“What did he do, Buffy?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, hiding her face in his chest. “I just want to sleep.”

“Do you want me to go?”

“No,” she said firmly. “I want you to stay.”

“Buffy—”

“No, I’m not listening to any arguments about what’s right or good or any of that crap.”

She leaned back to squint at him in the dark room. She thought she could see the first hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Deciding to try to push her advantage, she pressed her body close against his and pulled his face down so she could whisper in his ear.

“Take me to bed, Angel.”

“Buffy—”

She pressed a kiss to his neck and his grip tightened on her waist. Grinning in triumph, she kept kissing his neck. Soft, sucking kisses that she was _sure_ he enjoyed.

“Buffy,” he groaned. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t worry, Angel,” she said. “I only want to sleep.”

“In that case,” he said, bending down and sweeping her into his arms, “how can I refuse?”

He carried her over to the bed and lowered her onto it slowly, his movements hampered by the fact that she had fastened her lips to his neck again. He knelt on the bed in between her legs and she threw her head back, moaning in pleasure. He fastened his lips on her neck, sucking eagerly. He moved his lips to hers and kissed her deeply, groaning when she wrapped her legs around him.

“Buffy,” he said, in between kisses. “Maybe we shouldn’t—”

“Don’t,” she said desperately, painfully aware of the danger they were in. “Just kiss me.”

Angel stared at her for a long moment and Buffy threaded her fingers through his hair.

“Please, Angel, don’t leave me alone,” she whispered. “Not tonight.”

“I’ll never leave you,” he promised, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

They kissed languidly for a few minutes more before Angel pulled away with a regretful sigh. He laid down on the bed and pulled her into his arms, arranging his body around her protectively.

“Sleep now, Buffy.”

“You’ll stay with me?” she murmured sleepily, already feeling the exhaustion she’d put to the back of her mind taking over.

“Yes, I’ll stay with you.”

“You promise?”

He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly, smiling when she snuggled into him.

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to anyone who reads/leaves kudos/comments. I so appreciate it!


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